This invention relates to an improved back plate to be worn by underwater divers.
A back plate is a device for carrying one or more tanks of breathing gas on the back of the diver to allow them to breathe while underwater. The self contained underwater breathing apparatus (“SCUBA”) or other tank is attached to the back plate which is worn by the diver either via a separate harness device attached to the back plate or via shoulder webbing straps and waist webbing straps connected directly to the back plate. Typically, the shoulder straps and waist straps attached directly to the back plate consist of a single webbing strap that is woven through slots in the back plate to form the right shoulder strap, the left shoulder strap, and the waist strap. One drawback of this type of single, continuous webbing strap configuration is the inability to adjust the right and left shoulder straps independently. An additional drawback of the single, continuous webbing strap configuration is that equipment loops or other accessories cannot be attached permanently to the shoulder straps because this permanent attachment of accessories would not allow for the single strap to be threaded through the back plate slots. If such accessories are permanently attached after the strap is threaded through the back plate, then the strap cannot be removed.
Yet another drawback to the single, continuous webbing strap configuration is that the portion of the webbing strap that comprises the shoulder harness straps is not adjustable beyond the tightening of the entire strap system. Tightening or loosening the webbing strap does not adequately accommodate for the many different sizes and shapes of divers that use a back plate webbing strap system. Tightly fastening a rigid metal sheet to the back of a diver or loosely fastening the same metal sheet without adjustment may result in discomfort and therefore diminish the enjoyment of the experience of diving.
Back plates that are primarily designed for use with double cylinders, or scuba tanks, are known in the art. These back plates can typically be converted for use with a single tank configuration only through the attachment of an adapter. The need for the addition of a separate adapter when switching between a double tank configuration and a single tank configuration is inconvenient and inefficient.
An obvious need exists for a back plate that allows for attachment of independent shoulder and waist straps and thus, permanent attachment of accessories to the straps. Additionally, a need for a back plate that allows for convenient configuration of double and single tank arrangements without the use of a separate adapter is evident.